Hillside High School (Durham, North Carolina)

Hillside High School
"Rebuilding and Redefining Academic Excellence!"
Location
3727 Fayetteville St. Durham, North Carolina , United States
Information
Type	Public
Established	1887, as James A. Whitted High School; 1921, as Hillside Park High School; 1943, as Hillside High School
School district	Durham Public Schools
Principal	Hans Lassiter
Faculty	140
Enrollment	1517
Color(s)	Navy blue and      White
Mascot	Hornet
Nickname	"The Hornet's Nest"
Website	http://hillside.dpsnc.net/

Hillside High School (abbreviated HHS) is a four-year high school located in Durham, North Carolina. Hillside is one of seven high schools in the Durham Public Schools System. Of more than 300 historically black high schools that once operated in the state before desegregation, only five remain today, with Hillside being the oldest. Hillside is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Because of five consecutive years of composite testing scores of below 55%, Judge Howard Manning has threatened to close the school (along with 17 other North Carolina high schools) under the Leandro ruling, which states that North Carolina must provide a sound, basic education for all citizens.

Eunice Sanders, who was Hillside's principal for four years, resigned after the 2005-2006 school year to move to an administrative position within the Durham Public Schools Central Office. Earl Pappy was the principal of Hillside, Pappy retired at the conclusion of the 2008-2009 school year unexpectedly and died in early 2010. Pappy served as principal of George Wythe High School of the Arts in Richmond from 2002 until 2006.

History

The largest black schools in Durham prior to the building of Whitted School in 1887 were the Ledger Public School in Hayti, under the supervision of Miss Ledger, and the Hack Road Public School, where James Whitted, "a highly respected man of mixed races (Black and Indian) who had managed to educate himself," was superintendent.

In 1887, the Whitted School existed as the James A. Whitted High School, in honor of its first principal. The school, which was located on the corner of Blackwell and Pettigrew Streets, burned in 1888 and was located in a Bull Factory warehouse. In 1890, 161 pupils attended the school's six grades. Whitted taught the upper grades, William G. Pearson taught the middle grades, and two female teachers taught the first and second grades.

The first class graduated from the ninth grade of Whitted school in 1896. Also in 1896, a permanent brick building was constructed on Proctor and Ramsey Street for black children at a cost of $8000. In 1899, the building was destroyed and reconstructed, but students were housed in churches during that school year. In 1901, another black school, West End, was built. At this time 707 students were enrolled in the Durham black graded schools. In 1909, the East End School was constructed.

Only nine grades existed at Whitted from 1896 until 1911, but in 1911 a tenth grade was added. The 11th grade was added in 1918. From 1919 until 1920, first graders were housed in "dog houses," which were temporary shacks near the brick school building.

The Whitted School, which was in poor condition, burned in 1921, and students had to attend double sessions at East End and West End Schools. John Sprunt Hill, a leading Durham citizen, donated land for a new building on Pine and Umstead Street, which was named Hillside Park High School in honor of the donor and due to the fact that the school was located next to Hillside Park, a public city owned black park. The class of 1944 was the first to graduate under the 12 year system. A public address system was installed in the school in 1943 at a cost of $150.

The "Park" was dropped from the name Hillside High School in 1943. In 1950, because of overcrowding in the high school, the Hillside High School students moved into what was then called Whitted Junior High School, located near the campus of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and now the site of an NCCU science classroom building, and the Whitted Junior High School students moved into the old Hillside Park High School building closer to downtown Durham. The schools buildings also swapped names. Hillside High School at this time only enrolled grades 10, 11 and 12 and Whitted Junior High School enrolled 7, 8 and 9.

Additions of an auditorium, cafeteria, autoshop, classroom and gymnasium were made to accommodate the large number of transferred high school students in 1949. A classroom annex was added to the Hillside building in 1962.

In 1966 a new library was added, and a new bandroom was constructed in 1975.

Hillside was relocated to a brand new, state-of-the-art building in 1995.

Hillside has come a long way since it first existed as a small grade school in the 1880s. The educational goals which its founders set at that early date have, in the opinion of many, been realized in Hillside High School today.

Programs

Hillside offers the International Baccalaureate and AVID program to academically gifted students. This school offers career pathways in engineering and cosmetology. They also offer many Advanced Placement classes. Hillside's Arts Department is famous, and Hillside students have performed internationally.

Statistics

• Newest government school building in Durham
• Enrollment of approximately 1517
• 2005 Mean SAT Score: 828 [1]
• SAT averages: Verbal: 410; Mathematics: 418; Writing: 398
• 140 teachers and administrators

Athletics

• Participate in PAC-6 Conference ( East Chapel Hill, Durham Hillside, Durham Jordan, Northern Durham, Durham Riverside, Roxboro Person, Southern Durham High Schools)
• Boys Sports: football, cross country, soccer, basketball, wrestling, indoor track, baseball, outdoor track, tennis
• Girls Sports: indoor track, outdoor track (3A State Champions 2001-2005), softball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, cross country, soccer
• Co-ed Sports: Golf
• Traditionally Hillside's rivals are: Durham High School (closed in 1995) , Southern High School (North Carolina), Charles E. Jordan High School, and James B. Dudley High School.

Hillside 2010 football team went 16-0 and won the North Carolina 4A State Championship game 40-0 over Davie County at BB&T field in Winston-Salem, NC

• Hillside Girls Basketball Team went 25-2 in 1996 to win the Girl's 4-A State Championship. The First team to do so in the county (Men or Women) in over 100 Years.

Notable alumni

• Ernie Barnes, American Neo-Mannerist Artist and former Professional Football Player, NFL
• Tommy Wilson, former Professional Football Player, NFL
• Biff Henderson, of The Late Show with David Letterman
• Jeanne Hopkins Lucas, North Carolina State Senator
• André Leon Talley, Contributing Editor of Vogue magazine
• Pauli Murray, Civil Rights Advocate and writer of "Proud Shoes"
• Allyson Kay Duncan, Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• John Harding Lucas II, retired American Professional Basketball Player & Coach, NBA
• Bobby Perry, Basketball Player, University of Kentucky
• Rodney Rogers, retired American Basketball Player, NBA
• Thomas Stith, III, former member of Durham Council member and mayor candidate
• Greg Little, wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL.
• Michael Johnson, Quarterback for the North Carolina Central University Eagles
• Rashard Lee, retired European Professional Basketball Player
• Michael Lee, Wide receiver for the Santa Rosa Bear Cubs (2009 2nd Team Junior College All American)
• Vad Lee, Quarterback for Georgia Tech football team. Led Hillside to win the 2010 NCHSAA 4-A State Championship and finished the season 16-0.
• Jermese Jones, Offensive Tackle University of Virginia retired CFL player. 2007 Grey Cup Champion Saskatchewan Roughriders

External links

• School Profile
• Hillside High School's Official Web page